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Coffee Talk (Sara/Mana edition)
Stronger than Superman?
Major changes are coming to University Park pool contractor Splash Pools Inc. While Splash officials coordinate renovations and redevelopment of its new office at 5947 Clark Center Ave., Sarasota, and construction of a five-building flex park on Lena Road in Manatee County, they also have to deal with the innumerable challenges of bringing a new product to the market.
The company has applied for a patent on a new type of safety cage that company President Jim Dellinger says is "50 times stronger than other cages on the market for the exact same price." The cage would only be available for new pool construction.
"We plan to start marketing this nationally by August," Dellinger says. "We have manufacturers lined up already in South Africa and China. We should be well into manufacturing three months from now."
Partnering with The Partnership
Anexio Inc. is partnering with The Downtown Partnership's retail committee to give Sarasota's downtown businesses an integrated link to the Internet. At the recent Retail Forum, Anexio announced it would be creating a Web sites for downtown retailers as well as a central downtown retail Web site.
"We are trying to drive people downtown," says Michelle Halt, managing partner and CEO. "This is just one of the pieces of branding the downtown."
Specifics of the site, being called ShopdowntownSarasota.com, are still undecided. Halt says the main site probably will have at least two audiences: consumers and retailers who are considering a downtown location.
To promote the site, she says the company will likely look to more traditional marketing.
"We are going to have do offline marketing," she says. "This means newspapers and magazines, even signs out by the interstate."
Halt hopes to hash out the details after meeting with the retail committee in February.
While Anexio's relationship with The Downtown Partnership is on a pro-bono basis, it has found that working with downtown retailers can pay dividends. Anexio worked with Whole Foods Markets to coordinate environmental technology into the Sarasota building, allowing it to qualify for certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Halt says Whole Foods is in discussion with the Sarasota company about having it consult on at least two additional grocery stores.
Anexio offers computer-networking support, strategic business consulting and Web development services.
Moore raises Old Glory
Downtown-Sarasota travelers recently told Coffee Talk that Sarasota Ford has a new competitor for flag-waving patriotism. Moore Mortgage Group has raised a 50-foot flag at its Sarasota location at 766 S. Osprey Ave.
W. Budd Moore, president and senior lending officer, admitted to being a little surprised himself by the flag's size.
"I finally owned a little piece of downtown, and I thought it would be a good place for a flag," Moore says. "So I went out and ordered a pole and 50-foot flag. I honestly didn't realize it was going to be as big as it turned out to be."
Even if the flag is bigger than intended, Moore says the overall response has been pretty encouraging.
"We have received some pretty positive feedback," Moore says. "A few people said, 'They had never really noticed the corner before, but they decided to stop by.' "
Economic dynamo has hefty price tag
In preparation for action on the longstanding Conference Center issue, Sarasota County's financial planning office has drawn up a fiscal and econometric model. The potential for the center of course is huge, but the operating statement projected the center would run a minimum net operating loss of $4.2 million annually. Ouch.
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